Portable instruments for physical or electrochemical measurements such as pH, oxidation-reduction potential or electrical conductivity are widely used for monitoring industrial processes, quality control, environmental protection, and the like. Such measurements are meaningful only when their corresponding locations, the circumstances and the conditions are known. The conventional methods of capturing the measured information in the field include, for example, using portable instruments and then manually noting resultant readings along with observed details followed by later entering this information into a log book, computer system or other record. Some portable instruments may be equipped with data loggers which electronically record the readings for uploading later to a computer system. Other portable instruments may have ports, which would allow the connection of the instrument to a desktop computer. Some instruments may include connections to allow an external global positioning system unit to be connected for assigning coordinate values to the measurements that are recorded.
However, in spite of the current advancements in the field of portable instrumentation, there is still a need in the industry for the development of improved methods and apparatus for recording and distributing measurements made by portable instruments, to conduct the portable instrumentation more efficiently and reliably.